• 9 Jun 2020, 5:36 p.m.

    As some of you know, I am collecting pocketwatches, IWC only.

    Far from saying that my collection is a museum collection but I am proud to
    have found some nice and rare pieces over time.

    Some of the pocketwatches are common, easy to find on the market, sometimes in
    better condition than mine, but some I have are gems.

    So in these crazy times, as the museum in Schaffhausen is closed, why not open
    one here on the forum.

    As long as the museum is closed, I will post here daily a pocketwatch from my
    collection.

    I hope I don't run out of pieces before the virus is beaten. Fingers crossed
    for all of us.

    I will post them in a random order, with some comments, feel free to join.

    Keep safe all.

    DAY 80, cal 57 , Stockholm

    The watch I wanted to show today is one I bought recently. Again here on the
    dial we see that someone tried to remove the dial in a non professional way
    and put pressure on the dial, resulting the enamel to crack where the feed are
    located. A pity, but it didn't put me of to buy it.

    The watch is from 1900 and has a nice cal 57 inside. There are no markings or
    inscriptions on the movement at all, nowhere the name IWC or the stamp JWC,
    nothing that says IWC. Was it on demand of the dealer A. Bjorkman who put his
    name on the dial ? Maybe.

    It always wonders me how international the International Watch Company was
    even in its early days, watches were sold all over the planet, we have here
    Stockholm, but in this series we saw watches sold in Holland, in Brazil, the
    US,Italy.... We know of Pallweber watches with Dutch , Spanish, English,
    French, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese words on it.

    When you compare these early days with now, the internet, planes,...were not
    available to send out the marketing messages and the watches.

    This silver cased cal 57, I bought it for the case decoration, it is an open
    face, but still I call it the hunter, you will see why.

    Another example of Niello silver where the black is gone. Still a nice one to
    have. ( was also cheap as dirt ).

    The only reference to the brand

  • Master
    9 Jun 2020, 5:39 p.m.

    One cannot deny how amazingly intricate that case back is on Tonny's Niello
    cased Calibre 57 is.

    Can you imagine, how magnifiently beautiful that watch was the day the niello
    craftsman completed the case, and all the niello was intact, in place and
    shining like black glass? To me, the watch in it's current state is
    absolutely wondeful to see to - and it's no wonder that it's tradgic to me,
    that the art of niello-smithing (did I just make up that word?), has completly
    died out, and that I cannot find a craftsman able to restore these beautys to
    there former glory.

    So, today I first selected another Cal. 57 niello cased pocket watch tp share
    with you. Admitedly, not one anywhere as elaboratedly decorated as Tonny's
    example, but then I remembered that early this morning I woke up to a comment
    from my sister that read like this....

    So every day I send her the link to the forum post that Tonny has made, and
    tell her what I posted to compliment his Virtual Museum piece. Yesterday ot
    was the RM Italian Railway piece, and the resulting discussion about which
    exact movement is in it. Adrian had responded and shared the knowledge -
    satisfying my need to know for which I am greatful. However as to baby sisters
    disapointement - well, I will simply blame that on my good friend Adrian.

    The Watch

    She asked for gold...so lets give her gold!

    a whole large pocket watch case of 14K red gold

    And she shines from the face side too.Even a golden dial.

    But as can be seen, is showing her age a little and can do with a SPA
    Treatement.

    All in good time my dear... patience is a virtue.

    But then, my sister knows me well and will be asking here as to why did I buy
    such a "plain looking watch" (despite the gold dial and blue steel hands) -
    cause she knows that I too love the more "delicate engravings" pieces as well.
    So why this pocket watch which is free of any engravings?

    Well, the answer is in her inner beauty.

    Unlike Tonny's Cal. 57 this movement is finsished off to a very high level.
    For a start not only is she nickel plated - but has geneva striping too. Also,
    look at the well designed swan neck regulation mechanisim (seen here at the
    bottom left of the picture below) and when compared to Tonny's movenent you
    see it has no such fine tuning regultion mechanisim.

    She dates from 1925

    Now, here a strange thing.... when comparing my Calibre 57 to that of Tonnys
    (his here below on the left), I suddenly thought this lockdown business is
    getting to me bigtime!

    Am I beginning to halucinate and starting to see things? To much whisky? What
    gives here?

    How can this be? Both meant to be Cal. 57's - but my movement whilst not as
    old (note Tonny's rachet wheels held down by a single screw, whereas my
    movement has three screws to each rachet wheel) seems to be exactly the same
    form and shape of the bridges etc. but appears to be 100% mirror image!!!!

    Did the watchmaker drink too much whisky and assemble this watch on a Monday
    morning hung over and did so building the movement upside down (meaning
    starting assembly on the wrong side of the main plate). That must be it -
    right Adrian?

    And yes sister Dear, I know I left out the engravings today - but I promise to
    make ammends in a near future post. For now, just let me appreaciate her
    golden shine - and you know you are more precious than all the gold in the
    world to me.

  • Master
    9 Jun 2020, 8:22 p.m.

    To Mr. Sherlock Holmes

    Dear Mr. Holms,

    What we discussed was cal. 52/53 and forerunners, not cal. 57.

    But , indeed the orientation of the movement is different here as happened in
    the cal. 52/53 series.

    In general two things might have happened :

    The easiest way to explain such finding is that one is a hunter, the other an
    open face watch. But I guess for a serious detective as you are, this would
    have been a catch question.. The second possibility can be read in the
    article :'IWC (Cal. 52/53 Pocket Watch-A New Classification' of which you have
    a copy.( ask Watson, please)

    Over the years-for cal. 52/53 it happened in 1904- the configuration of the
    complete movement was switched to its mirror image. A better power flow was
    the reason to do it. When this was done for cal. 57 is unknown to me.

    Regards

    Sincerely yours,

    Adrian,

    (alwaysiwc)

  • Master
    10 Jun 2020, 10:01 a.m.

    Beautiful case indeed Tonny, thanks again for sharing! And... Mark & Adrian:
    you guys turn out to be a really funny duo ;-)

    Keep the stories coming!

    Regards, Bob